Third-Person Point of View
Eash...
Once, Riley's heart would beat faster with joy and excitement at the mere mention of this name. But now, just hearing it gave her a headache.
Riley felt there was a high probability the Eash who had just spoken with Leo was the same Eash she once knew. Otherwise, how could another Eash be waiting for his mate Riley to return? The coincidence was too incredible!
It seemed Eash was a friend of Leo's; why else would Leo call him immediately after Riley woke from her coma? Riley sighed inwardly. What hadn't she done to stay away from Eash and his brother? She had left everything dear to her heart and fled to a remote mountainside, leaving no trail behind. Then she'd tragically had an accident and ended up in a stranger's body. She'd done everything possible, the most courageous things anyone could do, to avoid meeting them.
Now she'd lost everything, even her own body... Yet, would she still have to encounter them in this life, too? How cruel could fate be? She didn't want to see them at all! With all her heart, she wished she'd never have to face them again.
"I'm sorry, babe... I had to take that call. My friend's in some trouble," Leo said, slipping his phone back into his trouser pocket. He noticed Riley was still staring blankly at the wall, lost in thought.
"Babe..." Leo spoke softly, gently caressing her cheek.
Startled by the sudden touch, Riley instinctively turned her face away. Pain flashed in Leo's eyes, but he quickly forced a smile.
"What's wrong?" he asked kindly.
"Nothing..." Riley replied.
"You were lost in thought," Leo observed.
"I was just wondering why I can't remember anything," Riley lied.
"I can't claim to understand how you feel. Only someone who's completely lost their memory could comprehend your pain," Leo sighed, holding her hand. "But babe... I promise your memories will return soon..."
No! Leo, you're wrong... I won't regain memories because there are none to recover! I'm not your mate... I'm so sorry I have to deceive you... Riley sighed inwardly.
"Even if you don't remember anything, don't worry. Just know your parents, and I love you more than anything. You're our whole world - nothing is more precious than you... Let's build a new life together," Leo said, gazing into her eyes.
Tears instantly welled in Riley's eyes. Nothing is more precious than you... Those are such beautiful words... Riley had no doubt Leo meant them with all his heart. This young Riley was truly blessed - with loving parents and a mate who cherished her above all else. Riley couldn't help feeling envious again and again...
"Please don't cry, my love..." Leo looked deeply concerned as he gently wiped her tears with his fingers. "I waited so long for you to open your eyes. I promised myself that when you woke up, I'd give you all the happiness and protect you so you'd never face anything painful again... Please don't cry. Don't worry about what you can't remember..." Though he asked Riley not to cry, tears filled his eyes as he caressed her hand.
That night, Leo stayed with Riley, holding her hand until she fell asleep. When Riley woke in the middle of the night, she found Leo still gripping her hand, having fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position - sitting on a chair with his head resting on her bed. She wanted to wake him but was too exhausted and soon drifted back to sleep.
Leo left for work the following day, and young Riley's parents came to stay with her. Riley understood this had been their routine throughout her coma, her parents keeping watch during the day, Leo taking the night shift, never leaving her alone.
Riley felt more at ease with the parents than with Leo. All morning, she smiled and listened to their stories about young Riley. The TV played unnoticed until something caught Riley's attention, making her freeze, eyes wide.
There on screen were Eash and Ezra, as handsome as she remembered, though a year's absence had left them looking more mature. Their faces bore unmistakable traces of exhaustion and frustration.
Noticing Riley's interest, Ashley turned up the volume.
On TV, Eash and Ezra wore professional suits, distant from the casual looks Riley remembered. They stood surrounded by people, facing a crowd of journalists thrusting microphones and firing questions.
"It's been over a year now. Any progress in your search?" a journalist asked.
"Unfortunately, no..." Eash replied, his expression revealing how painful the admission was. "But we're still searching..." He attempted a smile.
"You've searched everywhere this past year. Don't you think there's a chance she's... no longer with us?" another journalist asked.
"What?" Eash snarled, his face instantly flushing with rage. "What the fuck did you just say? Who the hell do you think you are to ask that?!"
Eash lunged at the journalist in a flash, grabbing him by the collar. "Are you her fucking mate? Do you know what happened to her better than us?!" he screamed. A year had passed, but you're still the same hotheaded idiot, Eash... Still unable to control your temper, Riley thought bitterly.
"She's alive!!! She's out there somewhere!!! We know it! We fucking feel it!!!" Eash continued shouting as Ezra and several bodyguards rushed to pull him away.
Even after being restrained, Eash kept yelling: "No one... No one in this world gets to say she's gone! She's there... She's there... It's just a matter of time..." As always, he showed no restraint, his emotions overwhelming him in full public view.
"I apologize for my brother's behaviour," Ezra interjected calmly; despite the chaos, as Riley remembered, he was always able to mask his feelings and handle situations rationally. "But I hope you'll all understand our situation. As her mates, we feel she's alive - we just haven't located her yet. So I trust no one will make such heartless comments again."
Ezra then smiled at the crowd and added, "We are also grateful to all of you for your support. We hope you will continue to help us find our mate soon!!"
Third-Person Point of View"Yeah, I understand. A convenience store isn't a place for studying... Wait... What? Did you say you would come?" Riley almost screamed. She couldn't even believe it. Riley always studied in the convenience store when there wasn't much work, but that was just her.How could someone like Ezra, who clearly seemed above the normal affairs of the world, agree to come to a convenience store to work on a report?"Where is the convenience store you work at?" Ezra asked, indifferent to Riley's shock."It's close by. In Zovelle," Riley replied, still in a daze. Is he really going to come?"Okay, then let's first do our work in the library and go directly to your workplace," Ezra said."Okay..." Riley murmured. No one would believe Ezra would come to her humble convenience store to work on a report with her. Not even Kimberley would believe it. Riley still couldn't understand how Ezra had readily agreed without hesitation. He usually didn't like spending time with any
Third-Person Point of ViewThinking of Eash and Ezra, Riley's mind slowly drifted back to the past, when her life had been wholly entangled with them...Since Ezra appeared at the university, Riley's life had begun to change again, little by little.Even though they were twins, Eash and Ezra had entirely different personalities. Eash was friendly, cheerful, and warm. He was always surrounded by people, with a constant smile on his lips. Ezra, however, hardly ever smiled at anyone, and when he did, it was easy to tell his smile wasn't genuine. He carried a mysterious, cold aura and seemed to avoid others intentionally (or unintentionally). He had no friends, preferring to stay alone, minding his own business. If Eash was like a bright, warm spring day, Ezra was a gloomy, cold winter day.Yet, they had one thing in common: their overwhelming presence. They had a way of attracting people in, making them desperate to get closer and to worship them with respect.Eash had always been the co
Third-Person Point of ViewFor a moment, everyone was silent. Riley's heart began to race, thinking she had made a stupid mistake. She should have just kept her mouth shut!"How do you think we should compensate her?" Then, proving her worry was reasonable, Ezra asked. Not just his—Eash's eyes were also focusing on her, seeking her response."How would I know how to do that?" Riley replied irritably."Do I even know how you both treated your mate? Do I know what kind of suffering that poor soul had to endure because of you?" she added."Yeah, you have no idea..." Ezra agreed."But just imagine if your mate badly treated you—how would you want him to compensate you?" he asked."It depends on how badly he treated me. If it's not something serious, a good apology would be enough. But if it's something so serious that I can't accept, maybe I wouldn't even want to see him again. Maybe the greatest compensation would be to just let me be alone!" Riley replied.Both Eash and Ezra sighed."Is
Third-Person Point of View"Then why? Why did I fight with him?"For a moment, Elsa looked bewildered by her question and remained silent. Then she smiled, but Riley could understand that something was hidden behind that smile."Isn't it normal for any couple to fight? I don't think there is any couple that doesn't fight with each other," Elsa said."I understand that. But I am just trying to understand the reasons we fought. Leo seems like a really good person. He loves me a lot. So, I can't understand why I fought with him." Riley said, trying to push Elsa to her limits and get an answer from her."Well... There's no particular reason. He was busy and couldn't find time to spend much with you. So you would get upset..." Elsa said, but Riley understood that was not the sole reason. So she wanted to question her further until she could get an honest answer. However, with the voices raised behind them, Riley completely forgot about everything else."Riley!!" Even if she didn't turn, sh
Third-Person Point of View"You... What do you know? You know nothing..."Riley's heart began to beat faster, and her head suddenly started to ache... For a moment, Riley couldn't understand anything. Who is this talking to her in her own mind? Also, what is the meaning of you know nothing? About what doesn't she know?"Enya?" Riley spoke panickedly. But there was no response again. "Enya, please talk to me. Was it you who talked to me just now? But it didn't sound like you. Please tell me, who is it?" Riley felt like she was going crazy. A moment ago, she didn't have any headache, but now it feels like her head is going to split open. It was not just her head. Her whole body was aching, but she understood it was more of a psychological pain than a physical pain. She couldn't distinguish her feelings, but one thing was sure. She was utterly heartbroken, devastated to the extent she felt dying was better than living with this pain. "Enya, please..." Riley crouched down on the grass,
32. You know nothingThird-Person Point of ViewBack to the presentRiley didn't realize she had spent so much time remembering the past. When Leo finally came to take her to dinner, it was already 10 p.m. After dinner, Riley spent some time talking with Leo. Leo was concerned about Eash and Ezra's visit and how it affected Riley."I feel I made a bad decision to let them come. It seems like you got upset after seeing them, " Leo said, sounding worried."Hey! Don't think like that. Those poor guys lost their mates. I think they believed I had some connection to their mate. It is a good thing you let them come here and clarify things. " Riley smiled."But you were nervous the whole time they were here..." Leo said, pouting at her."I looked nervous..."Riley got scared; did Eash and Ezra feel it, too?"You didn't look nervous, but you were nervous. I could feel it. You are my mate..."Riley sighed in relief. "It was just because they were my first visitors since I woke up...""You spent
Riley desperately wanted to hug the stranger, and she did just that!Without waiting to think twice, she boldly hugged the man in front of her, filling her lungs with the unique, rich scent. The man seemed to surprised for a moment, even if he didn't utter a word, Riley knew that from the way his heart began to beat faster under her ear and how his body slightly trembled."Thank you..." she whispered. Though just two words, they carried all her gratitude for everything he had done for her.He didn't say anything in return but gently patted her back. Riley wanted to keep hugging him tightly. His embrace gave her the warmth and solace she so desperately needed. But she knew she couldn't linger, so she reluctantly removed her arms from his strong back and stepped back.She tried to remove and return the jacket to him, but the stranger patted her hand, indicating she could keep it."But it's still raining... You'll have to walk back..." she said, concern evident in her voice.The masked m
The black shadow in the doorway didn't move for a few seconds, standing there intimidatingly. Yet, without uttering a word or making a single gesture, the tall, dark figure caused the four men who had been about to devour Riley to remove their filthy hands from her and step back.Riley crouched down, her coat discarded and her soaked white sweater half-torn, exposing part of her chest. The zipper of her jeans was still open, but she lacked the energy to fix it. Instead, she grabbed her coat from the floor and draped it over herself, trying to shield her trembling body.After nearly a minute of dead silence, the masked man began to step forward. The four men stood frozen, as if spellbound, unable to speak or move. The black figure gradually closed the gap between them, standing just centimetres away.Riley couldn't understand what was happening. Who was this man? Was he here to save her, or was he somehow connected to the others? Maybe he was a gang leader—someone so fearsome that even
However, Riley's life went on amid all the physical and mental exhaustion, small reliefs, and heartwarming moments. She faced her final exams and passed with the second-highest score in the entire school. Yes, she was second only to Eash. Only to him!The day they received the results, Eash shook hands with Riley and congratulated her heartily."Well done!" he chirped, his eyes gleaming with appreciation. In those two words, Riley could feel many unspoken sentiments. From that moment, Riley was sure that Eash was well aware of her situation, yet he chose to remain indifferent. He chose to treat her as a fellow student should be treated. Riley's heart was filled with respect for him. No matter his private life, he at least knew how to treat a person without discrimination.If Riley had been in any other family, her achievement would have been celebrated grandly. But Riley had no such family. Her mom's health was poor, and she sometimes lacked full consciousness. Riley doubted she would